Washing machine



March 18, 1941. .1. E. VETORINO ETAL WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 19395 Sheets-Sheet l i v lnve ntors Ja /v E. VETUR/NO fkA/VK VTo/a/Na JsnwZ. VETOE/Nd,

A ttomeys March 18, 1941. J. VETQRlNQ ETAL 2,235.46?

WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 O OOQQQQOOooooooooooooooomooo daH/v J5. VETOR INO FRA NK VETOR/NO JOSEPH E.VETflE/NO WWW A tiorneys E Z: Inventors March 1941- J. E. VETORINO EI'ALWASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 22, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 IQIGIIQIJ OOTI|II. 0+? 000 o 0 0 50000 00 o o o flow 000 oco 0 o o oQooc Q0 0 o o 0CAN 000 000 o owo o 00 00 Q o oo @0900 M UH M w l l i u 00 OM o 0 0006oo o o ,o OQo o Q60 0 o o oQooo 4 oo o o o 0 0003 1 EIPI Il O bI IIl kFILO Q o o 0 0000 Inventors JOHN i. VEToR/No 77ANK VETOE/NO JOSEPH Z. V5TOR/NO,

Attorneys Patented Mar. 18 ,1 941 I I J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12,235,467 I I WASHING-mounts John E. vet-moo, Fairhaven, Frank vetorino,Cincinnati, Ohio, and Joseph E. Vetorino, New Bedford, Mass., assignors,by memo assignments, to Continental'Laundry Machinery Co.-

Inc., New Bedford,- Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationDecember 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,656 Claims. (01. 68-29) Our inventionrelates broadly to washing ma- Figure 6 is another diagrammatic viewfurther chines and more particularly to combined washillustrating saidposition indicating means. ing and drying machines of the rotary tumblerReferring now to the drawings by numerals, and extractor type asexemplified in U. S. Letters the illustrated form of our inventioncomprises,

- 5.. Patent No. 1,979,237 to Frank Vetorino, dated as the basic elementthereof, an upright cylindri- 5 October 30, 1934, and over which theinstant incal casing I having a p r of an le iron reinventionis designedas an improvement. forcing bands, 2, 3 around its upper and lower Theprincipal object of the present invention end r p t v ly, SuitablySecured t eretois to provide in a machine of the type identified Abovethe lower end thereof, at any suitable disan improved drivefor aplurality of combination fiance, the casing I has Suitably Secured r n10 tumbler and extractor cylinders, whereby said a Circular bottom 4reinforced y radial fl es cylinders may be revolved in unison about acom- 5 beneath t e e and vin an xi l perture mon axis in the extractingoperation, or, rotated 6 therein for a p m e p ese t y see Surabout acommon axis at a right angle to the axis mounting the upper end thecasing l a dOme- 15 of revolution to function as tumblers and spinnersShaped top CW8! 7'01 circular form pmvided 15 in the Washing and dryingoperations with an angle iron reinforcing band 8 around Another objectis provide practical and m the lower edge thereof, bolted, 815 at 8 150the cient means for introducing fluid or air under flange Extendmg fromone slde the Fover r i I, laterally, is a bracket 9. A pair ofinletpipes p ii i zi n i d ig c r i i p l e d gi ig extracting "I for airunder pressure extend from diametri- 20 callly opposite sides of thecasing I iii-horizontal it: volving to rotary, and vice versa, so as toob bottom and the q casing A Sui-table ,viate shock and jar and therebyprolong the dram plug E provlded'm the as 25, life of the mechanismcated at l0 An axial aperture H is provided Still another object is torovide a drive for in the cover 1 for presently seen purpose above setforth is simple in termediate the pipes l0 and at the same level asconstruction, adapted for comparatively high r fl rg z: ifig g g ggfgggggg; -:2?rests,2s;assassinat w on an flange Wading a f t circular dooropening l4 provided in said cast r and subordinate objects are also comA pair i bglts i z fg to E angel3 asa o eswung o iurcae prehended by ourinvention, all of which, edge lugs IS on said door ll, said bolts andlugs gether with the precise nature of our impro being constructed forcoactmg camming action to ments, will be readily understood when thesucfo the door H tight against said flange ceeding description andclaims are read with refwithin t casing i is a, pair of combined'ere'nce to the drawings accompany g and formtumbler and extractingcylinders I! of duplicate m part of th s Spe ifi a i n constructionhaving concavo-convex front and In said drawings: back sides l8, l9,respectively, anddetachably 40 40 Figure 1 is a Vi w in si el v n of a Psecured together coaxially in back-to-back spaced ferred embodiment of rinvention with Parts apart relation by means of a short horizontal k n wy and shown in section, shaft 20 tapered at its ends, as at 2|, to fitinto F re 2 is a view in transverse section taken axial sockets, as at22, provided on the backs of on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in thedirecthe cylinders l1, said cylinders being clamped to 45 tion indicatedby the arrows, the ends of the shaft 20 in any suitable manner Figure 3is a view in horizontal section taken as by a bolt 23 passing throughthe back of each n h l -3 f Figure 1 l k in the r cylinder and into saidshaft. The cylinders ll tion indicated by the arrows. are perforated, asat 24, with the exception of Figure 4 is a similar view taken on theline the backs l9, and said backs arch inwardly and 50 4-4 of Figure 2looking in the direction of the the fronts outwardly. Each cylinder I1is proarrows, vided with an annular door frame 25 suitably se- Figure 5is a diagrammatic view in side elevacured to the front thereofconcentrically of the tion illustrating the position indicating meanscylinder and having a grooved inner edge 26. A for the cylinders, andcircular door 21, preferably arched inwardly of 55 the cylinder, andperforated, is provided for each cylinder, said door fitting within theframe 26 of the cylinder and being detachably secured therein by meansof an edge lug 28 fitting into the groove 26 of the frame 25, and a pairof latch bolts 29 suitably mounted on the outer face of the door to beprojected into said groove under the urge of springs as at 30. As bestshown in Figure 3, the doors 21 are slightly smaller than the door frameopenings 4 so as to be removed through the latter.

Coming now to the drive. and related parts,

surmounting the cover 1 is a circular cap-like clutch housing 3| havinga bottom edge flange 32 by means of which and bolts 33 said housing issecured to said cover concentrically thereof.

Within the top of the housing 31 is a driven pulley 34 horizontallydisposed and having a depending circumferential skirt providing a clutchflange 35. Within the pulley 34 is a bevel gear 36 having the hubthereof keyed, as at 31, in the hub of the pulley 34 for rotationthereby. The pulley 34 and gear 36 are rotated axially of the casing Ion a bolt-like arbor 38 extended through the top of the housing 3| andhaving a nut 39 on the upper end thereof. A cap 46 suitably fixed to thehousing 3| covers the nut 39.

The pulley 34 and gear 36 are adapted to be driven by an electric motor4| bolted, as at 42, to the beforementioned bracket 8 with the armatureshaft 43 thereof upright. A belt 44, of the multiple band type, extendsfrom a pulley 45 fast on the armature shaft 43 to the pulley 34, saidpulleys being suitably grooved for the specified type of belt as shownin Figure 2. The belt 44 extends through a suitable throat 46 providedin the appropriate side of the housing 3|.

A flat hollow gear casing 46 is provided in the vertical axis of thecasing in upstanding position for rotation therein and to extend at itsupper end within the bottom of the housing 3|, said gear casing havingat said end, a radial circular flange 41. The lower end of the gearcasing 46 is provided with a trunnion 48 extending through a suitablestumng box 48 fitting in the opening 6 and bolted, as at 68, to thebottom of the casing I, said lower end being stepped and supported inasuitahle end thrust bearing assembly 5| bolted, as at 52, to the bottomstructure of the casing I beneath said bottom. The upper end of the gearcasing 46 is provided with a tubular neck 53 extending through a ballbearing assembly 53' fitted into the aperture ii in the cover 1 andbolted to said cover as at 54.

The gear casing 46 functions as a carrier for the horizontal shaft 26which is extended through the sides thereof in the axis of the pipes toand rotatably mounted on said casing by means of ball bearingassemblies, as at 55, fitted into and suitably secured in annularflanges, as at 56, on said sides.

The drive is transmitted from the gear 36 to the shaft 26 to rotate thecombined tumbler and extractor cylinders i1 about a horizontal axis andfrom the said gear and the clutch flange 35 to the gear casing 46 torevolve the cylinders H in unison about the vertical axis of the casingall as follows.

Fixed to the flange 41 of the gear casing 46, concentrically thereof andsubjacent to the pulley 34, is a cup-like brake drum 56. A metallicbrake band 51 is provided around the drum: 66 with opposite ends thereofextended out of the housing 3| at one side thereof through a S it throat58 in said housing.

The brake band 61 is attached, intermediate its ends, to said housing 3|by means of a keeper extension 66 pivoted to said housing as at 60/ Ahand lever 6| is provided for operating the ends of said band 61 so asto tighten the band against said drum, said lever being fast on theupper end of the shaft 62 rotatably mounted in lateral cars 63 on thehousing 3|, the shaft having fast thereon a cross-arm 64 suitablyconnected to said ends of the brake band 51, as indicated at 65. Thearrangement of the hand lever 6| and the described connection betweenthe same and the band 51 is such that movement of said lever to eitherside of a central normal position will effect tightening of the band. Adetent 66 cooperating with teeth 61 on one of said ears 63 provides forholding the lever 6| in operated position.

The brake drum 56 has upstanding therefrom in the center thereof atubular bearing 68. A transverse shaft 68 is extended through the upperend of said bearing 68. A pair of segmental friction clutch shoes 16 areslidably mounted on opposite ends of said shaft 68, respectively,exteriorly of the bearing 68 and for movement into and from clutchingrelation to the clutch flange 35. A pair of light coil springs 1| aresleeved onto opposite ends of said shaft 68, respectively, between thebrake shoes 10 and collars 12 on said shaft, so as to yieldingly urgesaid shoes into disengaged position relative to the flange 35 whilepermitting said shoes to be engaged with said flange under the action ofcentrifugal force. A small sprocket wheel 13 is rotatably mounted on theshaft 68 between the sides of said bearing 68 so that said wheel isconfined in said bearing against lateral movement, ball-bearingassemblies 14 being provided between said shaft and wheel. The beveledgear 36 drives thesprocket wheel 13 through the medium of a beveled gear15 fast on the hub of said wheel. The sprocket wheel 13 is operativelyconnected to the shaft 26 by means of a large sprocket wheel 16 fast onsaid shaft within the gear casing 46, and a sprocket chain 11 extendingbetween said sprocket wheels and passing out of said casing by way ofthe neck 53. A pair of opposed idler sprockets 18 are suitably mountedin the gear casing 46 upon opposite sides of the neck 53 and adjacentthe same and between which said chain 11 is extended.

The casing is equipped with suitable inlet and outlet pipes for liquidand air, respectively, and designated 80, and 8|.

Means are provided on the brake drum 56 and the clutch housing 3| forindicating the exact position in which to stop revolution of thecylinders l1 to axially align the doors 21 with either the inlet pipesill or the door opening H. For this purpose a sight glass 82 is providedin the clutch housing 3| in position to render visible therethrough aplurality of arrow-like pointers depending from the bottom of the brakedrum 56 adjacent the lower edge thereof. The sight glass 82 is providedwith a center arrow-like gage mark 83. The pointers are located on thebrake drum 56 in spaced apart degree relation to provide twodiametrically opposite pairs 84, 85, those of one pair being arranged toregister with the mark 83 when the doors 21 are aligned with the pipesi0 and those of the oher pair registering with said mark when one or theother of said doors 21 is aligned with the door opening i4. One pair ofpointers, 84, or 85, as the case may be, is distinguished from the otherpair as by coloring, not shown, so as to indicate whether said doors 21are aligned with the pipes III or the door opening ll. Referring now tothe operation in extracting, with the hand lever 61 set in theintermediate position, as shown in Figure 4, and the motor 4| energized,under the inertia of the combined tumbler and extractor cylinders H, thebeveled gear 3' carries the beveled gear 15 around with the same,thereby revolving the sprocket wheel 13, shaft 69, brake drum 56, andgear casing 46 about the vertical axis of the latter, whereby saidcylinders are revolved about a common vertical axis of revolution untila predetermined speed of operation is attained. At this point, theclutch shoes 10, under the action of centrifugal force, are engaged withthe clutch flange 35 of pulley 34 and drive transmitted from said flangeto the gear casing 46 through said shoes III, the shaft 69, and brakedrum 56. By operating the hand lever 6| in the manner already describedto tighten the brake band 51 against the brake drum 56, the latter maybe retarded and stopped together with gear casing 46 and said cylindersl1. Under this condition, the clutch shoes 10 will be disengaged fromthe clutch flange 35 by the springs H, such disengagement occurring assoon as the point of deceleration is reached at which the springs Hovercome the centrifugal force acting to engage said shoes. As soon asdisengagement of the clutch shoes 10 occurs, the drive is transmittedfrom the beveled gear 36 to gear 15 and thence by the described sprocketand chain drive to the shaft 20 so as to rotate said shaft together withthe cylinders I! about the axis of the shaft, to accomplish the tumblingand drying operation.

After extracting, revolution of the cylinders I! about their verticalaxis of movement is stopped in a manner which will be clear to registerthe doors 2'! with the pipes l0 and by the aid of the described positionindicating means, air under about their horizontal axis of movement tocomout further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as defined, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoinedclaims. 1

What we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a main casing, a pair ofcombination tumbler and extractor cylinders in said casing, a shaftconnecting said cylinders together in relatively fixed axially spacedrelation for rotation in unison about a horizontal axis, a shaft carrierupstanding in the vertical axis of said casing between said cylindersand rotatably mounted therein for driving to revolve said shaft andcylinders in unison about said vertical axis, and a motor drive forrotating said shaft and carrier, selectively, comprising a driven pulleysurmounting said casing and rotatable on said vertical axis, a brakedrum fast on the upper end of said carrier intermediate said pulley andcasing, a friction clutch assembly carried by said drum between saidpulley and drum operative under the action of centrifugal force toconnect said pulley to said drum in driving relation thereto at apredetermined speed of operation of said drum, a planetary gear drivebetween said pulley and drum and driven by the pulley, a sprocket andchain drive for said shaft extending into said drum and operative bysaid planetary gear drive, and means to impose variable friction againstsaid drum at will.

2. In a machine of the class described, a main casing, a pair ofcombination tumbler and extractor cylinders in said casing, a shaftconnecting said cylinders together in fixed axially spaced relation ,forrotation in unison about a horizontal axis, a hollow shaft carrierupstanding in the vertical axis of said casing between said cylindersand rotatably mounted therein for driving to revol ve said shaft andcylinders in unison about said vertical axis, and a motor drive forrotating said shaft and carrier, selectively, comprising a driven pulleysurmounting said casing and rotatable on said vertical axis, a brakedrum fast on the upper end of said carrier intermediate said pulley andcasing, a friction clutch assembly carried by said drum between saidpulley and drum operative under the action of centrifugal force toconnect saidpulley to said drum in driving relation thereto at apredetermined speed of operation of said drum and including a crossshaft mounted on said drum for revolution therewith, a. planetary geardrive between said pulley and drum and driven by the pulley-andincluding a gear pinion freely rotatable on said cross shaft, drivingconnections between said pinion and the first mentioned shaft revolvingabout said vertical axis, and means to impose variable friction againstsaid drum at will.

3. In a machine of the class described, a main casing, a pair ofcombination tumbler and extractor cylinders in said casing, a shaftconnecting said cylinders together in fixed axially spaced relation forrotation in unison about a horizontal axis, a hollow shaft carrierupstanding in the vertical axis of said casing between said cylindersand rotatably mounted therein for driving to revolve said shaft andcylinders in unison about said vertical axis, and a motor drive forrotating said shaft and carrier, selectively, comprising a driven pulleysurmounting said casing and rotatable on said vertical axis, a brakedrum fast on the upper end of said carrier intermediate said pulley andeasing, a friction clutch assembly carried by said drum between saidpulley and drum operative under the action of centrifugal force toconnect said pulley to said drum in driving relation thereto at apredetermined speed of operation of said drum and including a crossshaft mounted on said drum for revolution therewith, a planetary geardrive between said pulley and drum and driven by the pulley andincluding a gear pinion freely rotatable on said cross shaft, a drivingconnection between said pinion and the first mentioned shaft revolvingabout said vertical axis, and means to impose variable friction againstsaid drum at will, said driving connection comprising, a sprocket wheelfast on said first mentioned shaft, a sprocket wheel freely rotatable onsaid cross shaft and operative by said gear pinion, and a sprocket chainconnecting said sprocket wheels.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main casing, a pair ofcombination tumbler and extractor cylinders in said casing, a shaftconnect! ing said cylinders together in relatively fixed axially spacedrelation for rotation in unison about a horizontal axis, a shaft carrierupstanding in the vertical axis of said casing between said cylindersand rotatably mounted therein for driving to revolve said shaft andcylinders in unison about said vertical axis, and a motor drive forrotating said shaft and carrier, selectively, comprising a driven pulleysurmounting said casing and rotatable on said vertical axis, a brakedrum fast on the upper end of said carrier intermediate said pulley andcasing, a friction clutch assembly carried by said drum between saidpulley and drum operative under the action of centrifugal force toconnect said pulley to said drum in drivingrelation thereto at apredetermined speed of operation of said drum, a planetary gear drivebetween said pulley and drum and driven by the pulley, a sprocket andchain drive for said shaft extending into said drum and operative bysaid planetary gear drive, and means to impose variable friction againstsaid drum at will, said last mentioned means comprising a hand leverpivotally mounted along side said drum, and a brake band trained aroundsaid drum and having ends connected to said lever for operation therebyto tighten the band about the drum.

5. In a machine of the class described, a main casing, a pair ofcombination tumbler and extractor cylinders in said casing, a shaftconnectin: said cylinders together in fixed axially spaced relation forrotation in unison about a horizontal axis, a shaft carrier upstandingin the vertical axis oi said casing between said cylinders and rotatablymounted in said casing for driving to revolve said shaft and cylindersin unison about said vertical axis, a pair of axially disposedperforated doors in the outer sides oi said cylinders, respectively, anda pair 01 inlet pipes at opposite sides of said casing, respectively,opening thereinto at the level of said doors for blasting fluid underpressure into said casing and against said doors to pass through thelatter into the cylinders.

JOHN E. VETORINO. FRANK VE'I'ORINO. JOSIE'H E. VETORINO.

